Chapter 14: Thirty Days Under One Roof
The words echoed in Elena's mind like a curse.
[ Main Mission Activated: Cohabitation for 30 days. ]
[ Conditions: Both host and target must live under the same roof for continuous duration. Progress resets if target leaves overnight. ]
[ Reward: Emotional Synchronization 20%, Access to Affection Meter. ]
[ Penalty for failure: Emotional backlash ×2, risk of bond collapse. ]
Elena's entire body went rigid. "No… no, no, no. This can't be real."
She looked up, praying Adrian hadn't heard it. But of course he had. His expression was calm, his lips curving in that infuriatingly confident way.
"Thirty days," he said slowly, savoring the words. "With me."
Her face burned hot. "Don't sound so smug! This is insane. I—I can't just move in with you."
His eyes glinted with quiet amusement. "Then move me in with you."
Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
"Elena," Adrian said, stepping closer, his towering presence stealing the air from her lungs. "The system doesn't negotiate. Either you live in my space… or I live in yours. Which do you prefer?"
Her mind spun. How could this even work? Living with him? Every day? Waking up, seeing him, breathing the same air for a month…
Her pulse jumped wildly. "There has to be another way. We can bend the rules, can't we?"
The system's voice was merciless:
[ Warning: Host attempted to avoid mission. Violation will trigger penalty countdown. ]
[ Time until enforcement: 24 hours. ]
Elena buried her face in her hands. "This is impossible."
"Not impossible," Adrian corrected softly, his hand lowering hers, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Just inevitable."
---
The next day was chaos. Elena paced her apartment, muttering under her breath. "This is ridiculous. Thirty days? How am I supposed to… live with him? He's a CEO, not a roommate. He probably expects servants, five-star meals, and gold-plated everything!"
Her phone buzzed. Adrian's message:
Pack your essentials. Car arrives in 20 minutes.
Her eyes widened. "What? No! I didn't agree—"
A second message followed.
Argue later. System won't wait.
Her cheeks flamed as she stomped around her room, shoving clothes into a suitcase. "Smug tyrant. Bossy maniac. I hate him."
But her hands shook, betraying her. Do I really hate him?
---
The car ride was silent, Adrian working on his tablet while Elena sulked in the corner, arms crossed. Every now and then, his gaze flicked to her reflection in the window.
[ Affection Meter unlocked. ]
[ Target's affection: 42%. ]
Elena nearly choked. Forty-two percent?! What does that even mean?
The system chimed again:
[ Affection rises with positive interactions, falls with neglect or conflict. Current mission will monitor both parties. ]
She sneaked a glance at Adrian, who looked unbothered as ever. Does he know? Of course he knows.
Her stomach twisted. "This isn't fair," she muttered.
His brow arched faintly. "What isn't?"
"That the system… keeps measuring everything like we're—like we're some kind of experiment."
Adrian's lips curved. "We are. But unlike most experiments, this one ends with you falling for me completely."
Her face turned crimson. "In your dreams!"
[ Affection -3%. Current standing: 39%. ]
Adrian chuckled under his breath. "Temper, Elena. You'll regret wasting points."
---
Blackwood's penthouse was nothing short of breathtaking. A sweeping view of the skyline, floor-to-ceiling windows, minimalist black-and-white décor softened by subtle gold accents. It screamed power, luxury, and control—just like him.
Elena gawked, hugging her suitcase like a shield. "This isn't a home. It's a museum."
Adrian's voice carried behind her. "Then live in it. Make it yours."
Her chest tightened. Make it mine? In his world?
He gestured toward the hallway. "Your room is the second on the left."
She blinked. "Wait—you're not expecting us to share a room?"
"Not yet," he said smoothly, loosening his tie. "The system hasn't asked for that. Yet."
Her cheeks flared. "You're insufferable."
[ Affection -1%. Current standing: 38%. ]
---
Dinner that night was a war zone. Adrian had a private chef prepare a lavish spread of salmon, steak, and wine. Elena poked at her food, suspicious.
"You don't have to bribe me with five-star meals," she muttered.
Adrian sipped his wine leisurely. "It isn't a bribe. It's dinner."
"Well, I prefer noodles," she said stubbornly.
His lips curved faintly. "Then tomorrow we'll have noodles."
She froze, chopsticks midair. "You'd actually… eat that?"
"Why not?" His gaze met hers directly. "If it makes you happy."
Her chest squeezed painfully, heat crawling up her neck.
[ Affection +7%. Current standing: 45%. ]
She glared at her plate to hide her face. This system is evil. Absolutely evil.
---
The first night was unbearable. Elena tossed and turned, every creak in the penthouse reminding her she wasn't alone. At one point, she got up to drink water, only to nearly collide with Adrian in the kitchen.
He stood shirtless, a glass in his hand, his sculpted frame lit faintly by moonlight.
Elena squeaked, nearly dropping her cup. "What—what are you doing here?!"
"Drinking water," he said blandly.
"You—you could put a shirt on!"
His lips quirked. "Does it bother you?"
Her face burned so hot she thought she might combust. "N-No!"
[ Affection +4%. Current standing: 49%. ]
Adrian smirked knowingly. "Goodnight, Elena."
She fled back to her room, slamming the door. Her heart wouldn't stop racing.
Thirty days of this will kill me.
---
The second morning brought the first cohabitation mission.
[ Sub-Mission: Share morning routine for 7 consecutive days. Reward: Affection +10%, Synchronization boost. ]
Elena nearly spat out her toothpaste. Share morning routine? As in… bathroom?
Adrian's voice came through the door, deep and amused. "You heard it too."
She gripped the sink in horror. "Don't even think about it!"
Minutes later, she stormed out of the bathroom, only to find him waiting, toothbrush in hand.
"I'll give you five minutes," he said dryly, brushing past her.
She gaped. "That's not sharing! That's alternating!"
He smirked. "Consider it a compromise. Unless you prefer the… intimate version."
Her face turned crimson. "I hate you."
[ Affection -2%. Current standing: 47%. ]
But when she peeked later and saw him humming quietly as he made coffee, shirt sleeves rolled up, hair slightly messy, something in her chest softened.
[ Affection +5%. Current standing: 52%. ]
---
Days blurred in strange domesticity. Elena cooked noodles one night, laughing when Adrian actually slurped them with surprising ease. He helped her fix a drawer in her room, sleeves rolled, patience unexpectedly steady.
At times, they fought—his arrogance clashing with her stubbornness. At times, they laughed—accidental brushes of hands, stolen glances in the kitchen. And sometimes… silence spoke louder than words.
The system tracked it all:
[ Affection: 58% ]
[ Emotional Synchronization: 12% ]
[ Progress: Day 4/30 ]
But beneath the routine, a storm brewed. Ryan hadn't given up. Gossip continued swirling outside. And Elena… Elena was starting to feel something she couldn't deny.
Every night, lying in bed, her heart whispered the same question:
What happens when thirty days are over?
---